A matchlock arquebus took a trained ashigaru about thirty to forty seconds to load and fire — much longer than a bow's draw cycle, and a very long time on a battlefield where enemy spearmen could close the distance. The Sengoku armies solved the problem with drill: companies organized in three or four ranks, the front rank firing while the back ranks completed the slow process of pouring powder, seating the ball with the long metal ramrod, priming the pan, and arranging the match cord. By 1600 a well-drilled ashigaru company could deliver continuous volley fire from the front rank while every man behind cycled through the loading sequence. The figures in this series capture moments from that cycle: this kneeling arquebusier is in the priming step, pouring fine powder into the pan that will spark when the trigger drops the burning match cord onto it.

This figure is an ashigaru arquebusier in the kneeling priming position — matchlock held across his lap, fine powder being poured into the pan that will fire the main charge when the trigger drops the lit match cord. The standing metal ramrod beside him is the tool just used (or about to be used) to seat powder and ball in the barrel; one of these accompanies each of the early arquebusier figures in the K&C Sekigahara 1600 series. He wears the typical Western Army ashigaru kit — yellow sleeved garment, lacquered cuirass with the daimyo's crest, red-and-white dotted hakama, blue tabi sandals — and a white hachimaki headband instead of the jingasa war hat. He pairs naturally with the sitting arquebusier ready to fire (the next stage in the firing cycle), the kneeling archer drawing his bow, and the Western Army archer reaching for an arrow for a complete mixed matchlock-and-bow firing line.

1/30 scale, matte-painted, single figure boxed. Catalog number SW008. As with the rest of the King & Country range, the painting captures period detail intended to read well in display.